Greek Cypriots

1 • INTRODUCTION

The name
Cyprus
comes from the Greek word for copper (
kypros
). The island's rich copper deposits first appealed to the
foreign powers from the eastern Mediterranean coast. The conflicts among
these rival groups played a major role in the turbulent history of
Cyprus.

The island's Greek heritage dates back to the Achaeans from
southern Greece, who settled there between 2000 and 1600
BC
. Other early foreign powers that occupied Cyprus included the
Egyptians, Assyrians, Romans, Persians, and British. Turkey dominated
the island from
AD
1571 to 1878. Next came a period of British administration. After World
War I (1914–18), Britain gained formal possession of the island.
People of both Greek and Turkish heritage live on Cyprus today.

Cyprus's Greek community has long desired
enosis,
political union of Cyprus with Greece, for a long time. This demand has
touched off political violence from time to time between Greek and
Turkish factions starting with the riots of 1931. In 1959, the two
groups agreed to the creation of an independent Cypriot nation with
equal representation for both of them. However, political unrest
continued through the 1960s. In 1974, the Greek National guard overthrew
the government of Archbishop Makarios III (1913–77). The Turkish
military then invaded and took over more than one-third of Cyprus.

In 1983, the Turkish-controlled sector proclaimed its independence as
the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. However, it is recognized only
by Turkey. The Republic of Cyprus is recognized by the United Nations
and other governments, but it controls only the Greek Cypriot areas of
the island. Leaders of the two communities have not been able to resolve
their problems over the partitioned (divided) island.

2 • LOCATION

Following Sicily and Sardinia, Cyprus is the third largest island in the
eastern Mediterranean. Its landscape is flat with little forest area.
Mount Olympus, famous as the ancient home of the Greek gods, is the
highest point on the island. Today it is visited by skiers in the winter
and hikers in the summer.

The Cypriot population is estimated at 750,000.

3 • LANGUAGE

Greek, Turkish, and English are the official languages of Cyprus. They
are standard in schools and used by the media. The Greek spoken by
Cypriots in some ways resembles ancient Greek more than does modern
Greek. For example, Greeks from mainland Greece say
ti kanete?
for "how are you?" while Cypriots say
tambu kanete?
Similarly,
che
for "and" is the Cypriot pronunciation for the standard
Greek
ke.

Greek Cypriots strongly support English as their second language,
largely because the island was a British colony until 1960.

Despite differences in pronunciation, the Greek Cypriots share the
twenty-four-letter alphabet of the Greek mainland, which appears and is
pronounced as follows:

LETTER

NAME

PRONUNCIATION

A α

alfa

a as in alfalfa

B b

veeta

v as in victory

Γ γ

gamma

g as in language

D d

thelta

th as in the

E ε

epsilon

e as in edible

Z ζ

zeeta

z as in zebra

H η

eeta

e as in eat

Θ θ

theeta

th as in thread

I ι

yota

y as in yoke

K κ

kapa

k as in kitchen

Λ λ

lambda

l as in lamb

M μ

me

m as in meat

N ν

knee

n as in neat

Ξ ξ

xee

x as in extra

O o

oh

o as in on

Π π

pea

p as in pear

P ρ

row

r as in rodeo

Σ σ

sigma

s as in seat

T τ

taf

t as in tax

Y υ

upsilon

e as in bee

Φ φ

fee

f as in find

X χ

hee

h as in hair

Ψ ψ

psi

psi sound as in
pepsi

Ω ω

omega

o as in oat

4 • FOLKLORE

Digenis Akritas is a character from an ancient epic poem whose author is
not known. Digenis often battled the deathly grip of Charon, the
ferryman on the river between life and death, before he finally died. He
is connected with the creation of the Kyrenia Mountain range in
northeastern Cyprus. It is said that these mountains were made when
Digenis, who was drowning in the Mediterranean Sea, grasped for land,
leaving the imprint of one hand on it. The range, which resembles the
five fingers of a hand, was given the name
Pentadaktylos
(five-fingered).

5 • RELIGION

The major religion of the Greek Cypriot population is Greek Orthodox.
However, its followers have lost their religious fervor to some extent.
The Church of Cyprus has the same Orthodox traditions and liturgy as the
church on the Greek mainland.

However, the Cypriot Orthodox service does not use a choir. The balcony,
or choir loft, found in most churches is reserved for women and is
called the
ginekonitis.
On the ground level of the church, men usually also sit on one side and
women on the other.

6 • MAJOR HOLIDAYS

Most Cypriot holidays revolve around the Orthodox Church and the
celebration of Easter.

The Easter season (beginning in February) has long, elaborate services
and ceremonies. The climax is Holy Week (March or April), which brings
most Cypriots to church every evening. The Resurrection, the climax of
Holy Week, is celebrated at the end of Holy Saturday. After midnight,
families feast on a "breakfast" of lemon-based
chicken-and-rice soup (
avogolemono
), along with hard-boiled eggs that are dyed red to commemorate the
blood of Christ.

On Easter Sunday, the midday meal is grilled outdoors and shared with
relatives who visit for the day. The meal usually consists of a whole
lamb, or goat, or some other meat. Children often receive a chocolate
egg. In the twentieth century, gifts have been added to the Easter
celebration. Many Cypriots stay home from work on the Monday and Tuesday
following Easter.

Kataklysmos,
a holiday exclusive to Cyprus, is celebrated on Pentecost, fifty days
after Easter. It is a Christian celebration of the biblical Flood. There
are poetry readings, music, and dancing as part of an outdoor fair.

Nonreligious holidays include Greek Independence Day (March 25),
Independence Day (October 1), and Greek National Day (October 28).

7 • RITES OF PASSAGE

Engagement, marriage, and childbirth are events that mark a
person's coming into adulthood. Girls formally become women
through the vow of marriage. For men, military service is a rite of
passage. All males eighteen years of age must enter the military;
they serve for a period of twenty-six months.

Spread out a rinsed grape leaf on a flat work area. Place 1
tablespoon meat filling in the center.

Fold the edges of the leaf together so they meet, and then roll the
leaf up to resemble a small sausage.

Place the filled leaves in a saucepan. Cover with beef broth or
tomato juice and simmer for 40 minutes.

8 • RELATIONSHIPS

Cypriots have gained a reputation as very hospitable, pleasant people.

Greek Cypriots generally maintain close ties with friends of the same
sex. Men often gather together at cafes to play an intense game of
tavali
(backgammon) and to talk politics. Except for tourists, though, women
are strictly excluded from these cafes.

When a man marries, he forms a strong bond with his
koumbaro
(best man), who also baptizes the first child. A woman also forms a
close friendships with her
koumbara,
or main wedding attendant.

9 • LIVING CONDITIONS

Houses and apartments in Cyprus are equipped with the conveniences found
in any modern city. Families typically live close to their relatives
within the city and share a village house as well. Movement of people
into the cities increased after fertile agricultural regions were seized
in the Turkish invasion of 1974.

Life expectancy (the average number of years lived) on Cyprus is
seventy-four years for men and seventy-eight years for women.

10 • FAMILY LIFE

Traditionally, Cypriots first defined themselves through their families.
A Cypriot household typically includes a husband, wife, and unmarried
children. Grandparents usually live nearby; if they are in declining
health, they live with their grown children. Nursing homes are seldom
used, and only when the aged parent is too ill or weak for home care.
Grandparents have a special, respected role in Greek Cypriot families,
and are revered by their grandchildren. Grandfathers often take their
grandchildren to and from school. Grandmothers help with most
child-rearing tasks while mothers work.

In the past, a Cypriot wedding consisted of a whole week of festivities.
Weddings today are celebrated for only half a day. Customs include the
elaborate dressing of the bride and groom, the church service, the
ceremonial preparation of the couple's bed, and an elaborate
wedding reception. The final dance of the evening is the
choros tou androjinou,
with the married couple alone on a dance floor strewn with paper money.

Separation and divorce are more common today and are better accepted
than they were in the past.

11 • CLOTHING

Cypriots wear modern Western fashions. Jeans, the popular garb for
teenagers, easily cost $100 per pair, with coordinating shirts priced at
more than $50. Women also prefer denim clothes, and often wear cotton
leggings. Hand-tailored suits are popular among professional men.

12 • FOOD

The rich food of Cyprus, mainly Greek in flavor, also shows Turkish,
Arabic, and British influences. A typical table of
mezedhes
(little delicacies) will include
halumi
(goat cheese),
taramosalata
(smoked cod eggs),
kleftiko
(slow-roasted lamb), and
moussaka,
a casserole of minced lamb and potatoes.
Koupepia,
or grape leaves, are a favorite in villages as well as in cities:

The usual morning meal for Cypriots includes toast topped with a slice
of cheese and perhaps honey. A more traditional breakfast is bread with
tomatoes, olives, and
halloumi,
a cheese made only in Cyprus.

13 • EDUCATION

Cypriot children begin their education at age five and a half. Unlike
American children, they are required to attend school only to the age of
fifteen. The Greek Cypriot school system has four levels, beginning with
pre-primary education for children from two to five and a half years
old. More than half of the eligible Greek Cypriot children attend
preschools. Primary school covers a six-year basic plan of studies.
English is a required course for the last two years. Students continue
on to high school. The first level, which is called
gymnasium
, is free, and required. The final three years, called
lyceum
, are taken only by choice. There are five fields of study: classics,
science, economics, commercial/secretarial training, and foreign
languages.

Higher education (college) and specialized training for professionals
such as teachers, technicians, engineers, foresters, nurses, and health
inspectors are offered by technical and vocational colleges. The
University of Cyprus in the capital city of Nicosia enrolled its first
students in September 1992. Tuition is free for Cypriots who take a full
load of courses.

14 • CULTURAL HERITAGE

Cultural Services, an agency established by the Ministry of Education,
ensures the preservation of Cypriot culture. It finances and promotes
such groups as the Cyprus State Chamber Orchestra, the Cyprus State
Youth Orchestra, and the National Gallery. It also keeps archives
(preserved records) for writers, painters, and sculptors. Cultural
Services also gives awards for literature, donates Cypriot books to
libraries abroad, and buys works by Cypriot artists.

The Cyprus Department of Antiquities excavates and preserves historic
sites and artifacts, including theaters, castles, and churches. The
ancient theaters of Salamis, Soli, Kourion, and Paphos have been
cultural centers since the Middle Ages. They have become the settings
for classical and modern plays from around the world.

15 • EMPLOYMENT

The Greek Cypriot labor force numbers about 285,500. Over half of the
workers are in the service sector, and under one-third work in industry.
Jobs that gain the highest respect are professional positions: doctors,
lawyers, civil servants, teachers, dentists, and businessmen. Lower-paid
workers include manual laborers, skilled craftsmen, and manufacturing
and construction workers. While they are considered lower-class, farmers
are usually wealthy because the land in Cyprus is valuable.

16 • SPORTS

Greek Cypriot men are strongly drawn to soccer (called football), as
both spectators and players. The island has been a participant in World
Cup matches.

The hunting season also attracts a throng of Cypriots. The countryside
may host as many as 40,000 hunters on Wednesdays or Sundays during the
season.

The natural resources of the island offer Cypriots of all ages a variety
of seasonal sports activities. The three ski runs on Mount Olympus draw
skiers from January through mid-March.

17 • RECREATION

Like many tourists, Cypriots enjoy packing the car with plenty of food,
and heading with relatives to the mountains. During the warmer seasons,
swimming is enjoyed on the island's many beaches.

Athletic clubs appeal to young professional people. Women usually
participate in same-sex aerobics classes and perform some weight
lifting. Men do more weight lifting, in addition to running and working
out with a punching bag.

18 • CRAFTS AND HOBBIES.

For more than a century, Cyprus's
lefkaritiki
embroidered linen has been marketed throughout the world. It takes its
name from the city where it is made, Pano Lefkara. It is crafted from
Irish linen. Each piece is unique and requires several weeks of work.
This linen can be quite costly.

Official handicraft centers have been opened in Limassol, Larnaca,
Paphos, and Nicosia for the purpose of preserving folk arts.

19 • SOCIAL PROBLEMS

Cyprus has developed into a brokering center for narcotics from nearby
Lebanon and Turkey. (Cypriots themselves are not usually users of the
heroin and marijuana, which are shipped to Europe.) Cypriot police have
joined with other European police forces to try to cut off drug
trafficking. Apart from this problem, Cyprus has a low crime rate in
comparison with neighboring Western European countries.